How the Super Bowl became a pop culture moment
The Super Bowl is more than just a game. It's a major pop culture moment.
This major sporting event is special because it's not just about the game; there are also cool commercials, famous singers performing, and viral celebrity moments that surround the game. The Super Bowl is a marketer's dream, as we get to see innovation and creativity in action and jump onto the trends that are born on Super Bowl Sunday.
Influencer culture
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, along with Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios, have somehow made even the least sporty people curious about the game.
Influencers build communities online, and big-time celebs have huge followings on social media. So, when their favorite influencer starts dating someone new, their fans want to get involved. Suddenly, fans of Alix Earle are asking about where she got her football jersey and watching games to spot her cheering for her partner from the sidelines.
More and more people aren't just watching the game to see their team win; they're also looking for moments that light up their online fan communities. The "Alix Earle effect" strikes again, this time in the world of football.
Building the hype
The hype surrounding the Super Bowl is more than just a one-day affair, meaning brands have time to align themselves with the event. With the big game taking place on Sunday 11th February, Uber Eats released its ad starring David and Victoria Beckham, and Jennifer Anniston the week prior.
The ad referenced a viral meme from the Beckham documentary on Netflix where Victoria Beckham claimed she was working class, and David called her out, sharing that her Dad driving her to school in a Rolls Royce. The ad, featuring a t-shirt with this message sparked conversations online because it shows the Beckhams "trolling themselves," which makes the ad memorable, and embeds the brand into popular culture.
If you've been scrolling through social media or tuning into any of the recent NFL playoff games, you may have spotted some of Kristin Juszczyk’s stunning designs rising in popularity. As the wife of NFL fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Kristin discovered her specialty by transforming football jerseys into unique, standout designs for the likes of Simone Biles, Deebo Samuel, and most recently, Taylor Swift.
Of course, it was the Swifties that skyrocketed Kristin’s social media success. The collaboration with Taylor Swift has significantly boosted Kristin's social media follower count remarkably. She gained over 500,000 new followers in just a week, marking a monthly growth rate of nearly 600%! Kristin's distinct designs and partnerships with celebrities have generated excitement, strengthening the Super Bowl as not just a sporting event, but a fashion moment.
Lessons from 2023
If sport isn’t your bag, it’s likely that the Super Bowl halftime show will spark your attention. Last year’s halftime show performance will certainly be hard to beat. Rihanna broke her hiatus and took to the stage to not only announce her second pregnancy but to not so subtly showcase her must-have Fenty Beauty products. An ICONIC marketing moment.
According to Brandwatch, mentions of the brand increased on both Twitter and TikTok by 717% following the big performance. Despite Rihanna receiving zero payment for her halftime spot, Launchmetrics reported her performance resulted in $5.6 million in earned media in the first 12 hours for Fenty Beauty and $2.6 million for her clothing business Savage x Fenty – WOW.
Embedding your brand into popular culture like this allows you to not only stay relevant and resonate with your target audience, but build deeper connections with them to ensuring long-term success in an ever-evolving market landscape.
What next?
This year, 2000s pop and R&B iconic Usher has secured the halftime show slot. He may not be set to announce a pregnancy or flaunt a beauty product, but there is potential for some memorable marketing moments to come from the performance…
SKIMS, the underwear brand founded by Kim Kardashian, has just announced Usher as the face of their menswear division in time for Super Bowl Sunday. As a part of this collaboration, the brand will be offering an exclusive version of Usher’s new album, Coming Home, featuring a bonus track to those who purchase the collection. And what better way to showcase this than during the Super Bowl halftime show?
Let’s check back on this after the event!
If you want to learn more about how you can embed your brand in cultural moments by partnering with influencers and public figures, drop us a line at hello@digitalvoices.com to explore the realm of possibilities.
